In the rapidly expanding realm of digital marketing, retail media networks are reshaping how brands measure performance and return on investment. Long-dominant metrics like Return on Ad Spend and Total Advertising Cost of Sales are increasingly being challenged by newer, more nuanced approaches.
Shaun Brown, founder and CEO of BirdDog, advocates for a shift in focus toward incrementality and new-to-brand acquisition—two measures that highlight whether a campaign genuinely adds value rather than simply recapturing existing customers.
Rethinking ROI Through Incrementality and New-to-Brand Metrics
Traditional metrics often reflect surface-level performance, failing to distinguish between organic sales and those driven directly by advertising. Incrementality offers a solution by isolating the true impact of media efforts, providing a clearer picture of effectiveness.
While the concept has gained traction among larger consumer packaged goods companies, it remains underutilized due to data access and analytical complexity. However, retail media networks like Amazon, Walmart Connect, and Instacart are making it increasingly feasible for smaller brands to engage with this level of analysis.
Alongside incrementality, new-to-brand acquisition is gaining importance.
This metric assesses how well a campaign brings in customers who have never previously purchased from the brand. In a digital ecosystem saturated with retargeting and loyalty programs, this shift reflects a broader industry trend toward sustainable, long-term growth over short-term conversion spikes.
Retail Media’s Role in Leveling the Playing Field
Retail media networks are now central to digital advertising strategy, offering brands a closed-loop environment where ads can be directly linked to in-store and online sales.
This transformation is especially significant for smaller brands, which previously lacked the tools and resources to compete with enterprise-level players. BirdDog, a media and data consultancy founded by Brown, specializes in making these capabilities accessible to mid-market companies.
By leveraging first-party shopper data and AI-driven analytics, BirdDog enables emerging brands to make informed, strategic decisions previously limited to their larger counterparts.
First-party data, once the domain of big tech and retail giants, is now more widely available thanks to the rise of retail media platforms.
Brown argues that when properly utilized, this data empowers smaller brands to target audiences more effectively, measure outcomes with greater precision, and optimize spending based on genuine business impact.
The Underrated Power of Product Detail Pages
While media strategy and data optimization garner much of the attention in retail marketing, Brown underscores the importance of product detail pages.
These digital storefronts are often the final stop in a consumer’s purchase journey and play a critical role in conversion. Despite this, they are frequently neglected in campaign planning. McKinsey & Company research supports this claim, finding that a majority of underperforming campaigns are tied to poor product content.
Brown emphasizes that improving the relevance, clarity and consistency of product listings can significantly amplify the effectiveness of paid media efforts. When content matches ad messaging and consumer expectations, it reduces friction and increases conversion likelihood. This view aligns with a growing consensus among marketers that content and commerce must be integrated more tightly than ever before.
Navigating a Consolidated and Competitive Media Landscape
As retail media networks consolidate, the competitive environment becomes more complex. Fewer platforms now control more inventory and data, leading to increased demand for sophisticated measurement capabilities. Brands must now operate with greater clarity about which metrics truly matter and how to apply them across channels.
Brown’s approach prioritizes actionable, data-informed decision-making while remaining accessible to brands without large internal marketing departments or agency relationships.
Ultimately, the evolving metrics landscape reflects a broader democratization of digital marketing. With the right tools and strategic mindset, small and mid-size brands are no longer at a disadvantage.
As Shaun Brown puts it, “every dog has its day—and so should every brand.” This philosophy captures the promise of a marketing ecosystem where performance is measured not just by impressions or clicks, but by meaningful growth and market expansion.
